Relationship between Metals Leached and Soil Type from Potential Acid Sulphate Soils under Acidic and Neutral Conditions in Western Australia

• Published in: Water, air, and soil pollution Vol. 205; no. 1-4; pp. 133 - 147
• Main Authors: Miller, F. S, Kilminster, K. L, Degens, B, Firns, G. W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands 01-01-2010; Springer Netherlands; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: acid sulfate soils; Acidic soils; Acids; Aluminum; Analysis; Applied sciences; Aquatic ecosystems; Archives & records; Arsenic; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Biological and physicochemical properties of pollutants. Interaction in the soil; Chromium; Climate Change/Climate Change Impacts; Coastal plains; Contaminants; Drainage; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environment; Environmental monitoring; Estuaries; Exact sciences and technology; Heavy metals; Hydrogeology; Iron; Laboratories; Lakes; Leachates; Leaching; Manganese; Metal concentrations; Metals; Nickel; Peat; polluted soils; Pollution; Pollution, environment geology; Rivers; Sand; Sandy soils; Selenium; Signatures; Soil and sediments pollution; Soil contaminants; soil pH; Soil pollution; Soil Science & Conservation; Soil types; Soils; Studies; Sulfides; Sulfuric acid; sulphidic soils; Trace elements; Trace metals; Water pollution; Water Quality/Water Pollution; Western Australia; Australia; Oceania; ISW, Australia, Western Australia, Albany; Australia, WesternAustralia, Perth; Australia, WesternAustralia; ISW, Australia, Western Australia; Australia, WesternAustralia, Albany; ISW, Australia, Western Australia, Perth; Sulphidic soils; Metalloids; Metal mobility; Column leaching; Trace metals; Acid drainage; Acid sulphate soils; Acid soil; Property of soil; Mobility; Environmental factor; Soil pollution; Heavy metal; Drainage; Transport process; Trace element; Edaphic factor; Risk assessment; Acid leaching; Lixiviation
• ISSN: 0049-6979; 1573-2932
• DOI: 10.1007/s11270-009-0061-5

Metal contaminants are likely to be mobilised from soil when in contact with acidic drainage. Soils containing sulphide are often associated with significant quantities of trace metals. Understanding the source of metal pollution is of significant concern for management because sulphide-containing soils are found in close proximity to estuaries, lowland rivers and lakes. This study focuses on Western Australian soils, which are typically sandy and well weathered. Two leachate trials, a batch and a column method, investigated the possibility of characteristic leachate signatures with respect to future traceability of metal contamination from soil drainage. Leaching signatures were assessed for four soil types (grey sand (GS), iron-rich sand (FeRS), silty sand (SS) and peat) found coastally between Perth and Albany, in Western Australia. Trace metals leached from the four soil types showed significant differences for both the metals leached and the concentrations for the column leaching trial. No nickel (<1.0 µgL⁻¹) but relatively high concentrations of arsenic were leached from the peat site. The FeRS leachates contained chromium, copper, high aluminium and relatively high iron. The GS leached extremely high iron and relatively high manganese concentrations. In comparison, only small concentrations of nickel, iron, aluminium, arsenic and manganese leached from the SS columns. Selenium did not leach above reporting limits (<1.0 µg L⁻¹) from any of the soil types. This work suggests that leachate signatures from different soil types exist and that soil type should be considered when determining the risk of aquatic impact associated with acidic drainage.